It's no secret that I love to stretch.
I thought about subtitling this column, "Confessions
of a Stretching Fiend," but that would make stretching sound
all clandestine and it's not. I am a brazen, public stretcher, and I hope
you will be too.
You may protest that you don't have time or,
ironically, make the excuse, "Well, I'm just not
flexible." Maybe it's just not important to you. My goal is to
help convince you otherwise.
Stretching often, hopefully daily, will increase
your flexibility. Sure, genetics are involved, but you can do much
to improve your situation. Frequent stretching will increase your sense
of relief and wellbeing in your body, sometimes when you didn't even
realize you needed it. And regular stretching will help you maintain the
flexibility you gain—but if you don't use it, you'll lose it. Proper
stretching can improve athletic performance and reduce risk of
injury in movement, whether it's the daily workout or seasonal deep
cleaning around the house.
On a more technical note, stretching helps increase
blood flow, which is important to avoid stiffness, cold, and
pain associated with stagnation. If you've had scar tissue from surgery
or an injury, you'll probably understand what I mean; the scar tissue
decreases blood flow to the traumatized area, inhibiting removal of
cellular waste which then builds up and can trigger an inflammation
response, which in turn can cause pain.
Basically, it feels GREAT, it's FREE, and
it's GOOD FOR YOU.
So how do you fit stretching into a busy schedule? What
should you stretch, and what is proper technique?
Realize that you don't have to stretch your whole body
every time you stretch. You can also do what I call "spot
stretching" for areas that you notice are tense. Stretching
is perfect for a quick break from the work or school desk, in the
back of the airplane cabin during a long flight, sitting on a bus, even
while standing in the grocery line—but I do discourage stretching while
you drive! Be brave and creative, and you may even make new friends—I was
recently stretching before my flight took off and an airline attendant
starting asking me questions because she has low back pain. I was able to
give her some tips and connected
with a stranger.
It may seem obvious to stretch those muscles that you use
the most, or where you notice the most tension. Most experts recommend
stretching after a brief warm up to avoid straining the muscles or
injuring yourself during exercise. The following are also important:
- Hold
the stretch for 15-30 seconds without bouncing so you don't
micro-tear the muscles.
- Breathe
out while you ease into the stretch.
- Go
to the "edge of deliciousness" and avoid pain or
strain.
- If
you are preparing to do physical activity, such as karate kicks,
first do the movement slowly and then full-speed.
- Remember
to warm up first so you don’t pull a muscle.
Lastly, here are some awesome neck and back stretches, not
intended to be comprehensive:
- Side of the neck: One
of my favorites is to grab hold of the edge of the chair (secure
table works too) and hold firmly while dropping the head to the
opposite side. You will likely feel a stretch down your arm as well
as your neck. A similar effect can be achieved with the head tilted
to the left, and the left hand holds the top of the head while you
gently push your head into your hand. Hold about 15-30 seconds, and
release. Do this again once or twice on both sides.
 Back
of the neck: Drop your head slowly forward,
chin toward chest, and then roll up toward the left. Don't let
your ear go past your shoulder. Do the same on the right side. You
can enhance the stretch to the left by tugging gently on your head
with the left hand while gently resisting with your head, and
vice versa for the right side. - Front of the neck: Let
your head drop backward, reaching with your chin like you're going
to kiss the sky. Tilt somewhat to the right and to the left. Move
slowly and breathe.
- Shoulders and back:
Grab the edge of your chair with both hands and sit up straight.
Slowly lean back, feeling a stretch in your shoulders. Ahhhhhh.
Still holding the edge of the chair with straight arms and leaning
back, gently bend your upper back and you'll feel it between
your shoulder blades. Double ahhhhhh.
There is so much more to share about stretching. Hopefully
you have some new ideas and encouragement to implement stretching
regularly in your day. While a 30-minute stretch session is awesome, you
can also sneak it in during work or play! Stretching is for everyone, it
costs nothing, and your body will thank you.
I love feedback and I want to
hear your successes and questions about stretching. Please send me a
message or call if you'd like more tips. We can also include
stretching into a massage session with Thai massage, sometimes
called "passive yoga": bodywork4peace@yahoo.com
or 858.309.2540
 April
Murdock with
BODYWORK
FOR PEACE
NOTE: This
newsletter is based off of the experience and opinion of the author and
is not medical advice. If you have health or medical issues, please
consult your doctor.
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Have you ever considered that someone with a flexible body
might also have a more flexible personality? Is there a correlation?
Hmm...
Just as we stretch our bodies, we can stretch ourselves
personally in our habits, including our communication styles.
We have a basic need for consistency in life, and it
is human nature to develop habits and routines. But in all things,
balance is key, and sometimes we become "stuck"—or inflexible—in
routines or ruts that don't serve our growth or happiness.
Some of those ruts easily occur in communication. See if
any of these seem familiar:
- blaming
others for our feelings and actions
- labeling
and judging others and ourselves
- making
assumptions
- using
superlatives such as, "You always/never ____________."
- taking
offense, whether or not it's intended
- demanding
rather than requesting our needs and desires to be met
 Blaming others for our feelings and
actions might sound like the oh-so-common, "You make me so
angry!" or "I wouldn't [do such-and-such] if you just
wouldn't __________." Of course there are many variations on these
statements. Blaming others leads us to justify our actions, or make excuses
for ourselves. I ask this question for pondering: Is there a way
of being that doesn't need to self-justify? (more on this in future
editions)
Labeling and judging others might come in the form of, "He thinks he
knows everything;" "She is such a control freak;" or even
applied toward ourselves as in, "I'm so stupid" or
"I'm just a social dork." Labels can be more favorable as
well, such as the common, "S/He's so hot."
Comparisons are another form of judgment trap that can be easy to
fall into. Comparing our appearance, job performance, income,
athleticism, vehicle, house, etc., usually just leads to
dissatisfaction and/or pride.
Assumptions are often hidden to ourselves. Core beliefs, or ideas
that underlie many of our thoughts and actions, tend to influence
our assumptions. For example, someone with a core belief that the
world is generally a safe place will more likely assume that a stranger
has good intentions and treat him accordingly. Conversely, a core belief
that nobody can be trusted would likely lead that individual to failed
relationships or a life of loneliness.
Using superlatives such as, "You always/never..."
"everybody/nobody" and "best/worst" are not
accurate statements and invite others to respond defensively: "No, I
don't always do that!" and usually point out what the other
person does wrong. Superlatives help emphasize our point, but they also
hide feelings and needs that we haven't clearly expressed. For example,
the common statement, "You never listen to me," is likely
masking feelings of loneliness or frustration, with needs to connect, be
understood and validated.
Superlatives also don't reflect reality, thus discounting
examples that could counter our mistaken beliefs. For example, if I am
convinced that my housemate or coworker "never does anything to help
out around the house/office," when actually I just have never seen
him/her do certain tasks, then how likely am I to notice when s/he does
do helpful things but maybe just not the ones things I would like to see?
When we demand rather than request our needs
and desires to be met, what response does that invite from others? Do
they want to honor our requests, or do they meet us with
resistance? Sometimes they will do what we ask, but with resentment—and
sometimes may passive aggressively get back at us for "making"
them do something they didn't want to do.
Taking offense, whether or not an attack is intended, is another
rut that is detrimental to our relationships. You may notice a certain
person that seems to rub you wrong, whether or not you are clear as to
why. I invite you to consider taking steps to improve your relationship
with this person, and to know that it's possible.
 All of these communication ruts affect our interactions
with others because they influence how we see others and ourselves, and
they bind us into ineffective, inaccurate, repetitive patterns that
interfere with our happiness or others'.
Pick one of the above patterns to work on in the next few
weeks, somewhere you can stretch yourself. Before or during a difficult
interaction with someone, practice the following (notice some parallels
with physical stretching from the other column):
- Pause
several seconds before you respond in anger or judgment
to consider the underlying needs of the other person. Ask
yourself, "Where is s/he coming from?"
- Pause
to consider your own needs and feelings in regards to that person or
situation. Make a clear, attainable request.
- Breathe
in and out deeply. Sometimes it helps to count to 10 or longer, if
needed.
- Go
to the edge of compassion. You are stretching here.
Practice these skills frequently. Share them with others
so they can support you and find personal benefit themselves. And let me
know how it goes!
"Work is love made visible" ~ Kahlil
Gibran
Copyright
2012 Bodywork for Peace
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